I survived the Covered Bridges 200K.
Stats:
- Miles ridden: 125.3 (201.8 km)
- Covered bridges ridden through: 2
- Near-maulings by Corgi: 1
- Frolicking newborn goats at a yard sale: 1
- Yard sales I resisted stopping at: many
- 400K riders who followed me when I split off on the 200K route: 2
- Times stopped on the “The Wall” to rest: 2
- Agricultural parade routes ridden: 1
- Sore knees: 2
- Times I should have applied sunscreen: >0
- Donut-like-pastries consumed: 2
- Clif bars consumed: 3
Longest I’ve ever ridden, first time over 100 miles. I started riding consistently May of last year, and I’ve come a long way since.
My knees gave out at about mile 90, so I had to gear down and pedal slow enough that they wouldn’t hurt. 35 miles is a long way to go that way. After the Snoozeville Populaire, I felt really strong. This time, limping in like this, I feel more like I just outlasted the course in a war of attrition rather than actually conquering it on my own accord.
Rolling into Scio, the Lamb and Wool Festival was going on, so the normally quite crossroads was full of people waiting for the start of the parade. A bunch of lycra and/or wool clad cyclists was probably not what many of them were expecting. At the Covered Bridge Cafe, I had a Hog Back Maple Bar after seeing Joel outside with one. A perfectly-cooked slice of bacon on top of a maple-glazed bar– fantastic.
Overall, a nice ride, over some beautiful country.
